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Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

We Are the Works in Progress, the compilation organized by Blonde Redhead to benefit Japan in the wake of 2011's tsunami.

The 14-song compilation, to be released on Blonde Redhead's new Asa Wa Kurui label, features exclusive tracks from Deerhunter, Four Tet, Pantha Du Prince, Broadcast, Liars, John Maus, and Blonde Redhead, among others. It's out digitally on January 10 and as a double LP on February 7 (you can pre-order the 2xLP at the collection's official website). Proceeds benefit the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund and Architecture for Humanity.

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

Magnetic Fields Announce New Album

The Magnetic Fields will return to Merge Records with their new album Love at the Bottom of the Sea, out March 6 in the U.S. (It's out March 5 via Domino in the UK). The last Magnetic Fields album on Merge was 1999's 69 Love Songs. Love at the Bottom of the Sea will be supported by an international tour, including SXSW. Tracklist and dates below.

A press release notes that, on the album, Stephin Merritt revisits a mixture of synth and acoustic instrumentation. ("Most of the synthesizers on the record didn't exist when we were last using synthesizers," he says.) Other contributors to the album include Claudia Gonson, Sam Davol, John Woo, Shirley Simms, Johny Blood, and Daniel Handler.

Love at the Bottom of the Sea:

01 God Wants Us to Wait
02 Andrew in Drag
03 Your Girlfriend’s Face
04 Born for Love
05 I’d Go Anywhere With Hugh
06 Infatuation (With Your Gyration)
07 The Only Boy in Town
08 The Machine in Your Hand
09 Goin’ Back to the Country
10 I’ve Run Away to Join the Fairies
11 The Horrible Party
12 My Husband’s Pied-a-Terre
13 I Don’t Like Your Tone
14 Quick!
15 All She Cares About Is Mariachi

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

Grimes' new album Visions, will be released on February 21 in North America and elsewhere on March 12. She's also added a handful of extra dates to her tour, which begins next month. Tour dates are below.

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

With the exception of a Record Store Day single, New York City alt rockers Nada Surf have had a quiet 2011. This year, however, will be a much different story. On January 24th, the band will release their seventh studio album, The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy, via Barsuk Records.

In support of the release, Nada Surf have already mapped out tour dates on both sides of the Atlantic in early 2012. Their entire upcoming itinerary is mapped out below.

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

Air to Release Album Inspired by Silent French Film From 1902

French dream-pop outfit Air are set to release an album on February 7 through Astralwerks, their first since 2009's Love 2. Titled Le Voyage Dans La Lune after Georges Méliès' 1902 silent short French film by the same name, it's an expansion of a project they worked on earlier this year. (The duo provided music for an updated version of Méliès' film for its debut at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.)

The record features lyrics and vocals from Beach House's Victoria Legrand on a song called "Seven Stars" and lyrics written by Au Revoir Simone on the track "Who Am I Know? The release will include a limited-edition version of the short film and Air's original score. Here's the tracklist:

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

After releasing December's Spock EP, the band has announced a full-length album, Ssss, out via Mute on March 13. A press release notes that the LP will include both Spock and a forthcoming second EP, Single Blip.

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

Georgia Anne Muldrow & Madlib - Seeds

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cle-uBRESY[/ame]

Georgia Anne Muldrow Album Coming in March

SomeOthaShip Connect have set a March 27th release date for Georgia Anne Muldrow's new album, Seeds.Seeds not only marks Georgia's first album as a vocalist on an outside producers instrumentation, it also marks the first full length project Madlib has produced exclusively for a female vocalist.

Says Georgia, "Not handling production and focusing strictly on the lyrics and vocals was a very different experience for me. It was as if I walked into someone else's world and built a hut. But I'm very proud of the hut we built and am excited about the release."

Muldrow, a prolific vocalist, producer and multi-instrumentalist, comes from a musical family. Her father, the late Ronald Muldrow, was a jazz musician and her mother, Rickie Byars-Beckwith, a singer with the Pharoah Sanders Ensemble and co-founder of Sound of Agape Rhythms. She's also a proud mother to her son Nokware Perkins with her life & music partner Dudley Perkins (aka Declaime). Muldrow's discography includes various pieces of work from Soul to Jazz to Hip-Hop and is as impressive as it is long for someone her age.

Lyrically Muldrow's themes on this album center around her wonder about the elements of life and the interconnected nature of the universe. The first single, "Seeds" will be released as a 7" via Fat Beats and digitally via iTunes on February 14, 2012. "Seeds" asks the people of the world to elevate their consciousness and take responsibility for the future of our children and the planet. The 7" will also feature the b-side, "Husfriend," an ode to the beauty of commitment to another person. Another highlight track, "Wind," tells an esoteric story about a fisherman and his family and how the wind carries people's stories, traditions and soul.

Muldrow and Dudley Perkins aka Declaime are set to tour the U.S. in support of Seeds in late March/April. G&D will play Jazz Café in London, UK on Jan. 29th and in Rennes, France on Feb. 2nd at MJC Brequigny.

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

On February 21, Matador will release the next album from Seattle songwriter Mike Hadreas, aka Perfume Genius. It's called Put Your Back N 2 It.

Hadreas notes in a press release that the opening cut, "AWOL Marine", is about "the desperation, demoralization and soullessness that comes with addiction," inspired by "some unedited homemade basement porn I watched." The track "17" is "basically a gay suicide letter," and another, "Take Me Home", is "a pop song about hookerism." The track "Dirge" is based on a 1921 poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay, while the title track is "about gay sex."

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

Pet Shop Boys will release a brand new b-sides compilation on February 6th, 2012, on Parlophone. Entitled "Format", it celebrates the duo's prolific song-writing and recording by collecting 38 b-sides and bonus tracks originally released on singles from 1996 to 2009.

The album will be available digitally and on double-CD.

All tracks have been remastered and the CD booklet features an interview with Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe by Jon Savage (author of "England's Dreaming" and "Teenage"). Design is by Farrow.

"Format" follows on from the 1995 release, "Alternative", which collected the duo's b-sides from 1985 to 1994.

Pet Shop Boys are currently working on their 11th studio album which is due for release in early autumn next year.

CD2
1 Always
2 Nightlife
3 Searching for the face of Jesus
4 Between two islands
5 Friendly fire
6 We're the Pet Shop Boys
7 Transparent
8 I didn't get where I am today
9 The Resurrectionist
10 Girls don't cry
11 In private (7-inch mix): Pet Shop Boys with Elton John
12 Blue on blue
13 No time for tears (7-inch mix)
14 Bright young things
15 Party song
16 We're all criminals now
17 Gin and Jag
18 After the event
19 The former enfant terrible
20 Up and down

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

Sandy Barber - The Best Is Yet To Come - Deluxe Edition

Release date: Feb 13th 2012

Records are made every day, released every week, and even with the best will in the world this means that scores of records are ignored or lost from the moment that they are pressed. However it is also true that the collector, the DJ and the fanatic are all out there looking for something that can lift their soul. So there is always hope that if your record is good enough, one day it will be discovered and revered. Artists as diverse as Terry Callier, David Axelrod and Vashti Bunyan have all benefited from this effect, and if there is any justice in the world so should Sandy Barber’s album ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’ .

Born in New York City on June 8th 1955, Barber grew up and attended school just across the river in Englewood New Jersey. With the encouragement of her big family she was singing from an early age at any events that would have her. As a teenager she came second at the legendary ‘Talent Night’ at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. The Apollo was known throughout America as the premier venue of the African American circuit, and was infamous for its tough audience. Even stepping onto that stage was a challenge, but to finish in the top three was a serious achievement.

The appearance at the Apollo was heard by Chris Curry who arranged for Sandy to audition for David Jordan a producer who was working on a group called Rare Pleasure. He had a song called ‘Let Me Down Easy’ and felt that Sandy’s voice was perfect for it. The record released on Cheri Records became a club anthem – today probably better known for being sampled by David Morales on his hit ‘Needing U’ – with Sandy’s vocals perfectly capturing the songs pleading nature. Sandy didn’t enjoy working with a group and went out on her own soon after, a decision that was vindicated when a mutual friend introduced her to the producer, writer and record label owner Clyde Otis, who Sandy describes as ‘her mentor’. Otis liked what he heard and signed her immediately to the deal that would produce her album ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’.

When he signed Sandy he was bringing with him over a quarter of a century of knowledge and experience and he used it all in putting together the record. The vocal arrangements were handled by Tasha Thomas, the incredible singer who had made her name in the stage play of ‘The Wiz’, who recorded the wonderful ‘Shoot Me (With Your Love), at the time one of the hottest singers on the scene. The musical arrangements were by Nat Adderley Jr, son of the jazz trumpeter, and a brilliant keyboard player in his own right, who had recorded with the group Natural Essence on Fantasy.

The album opens with ‘Look Out Sky’ which lays out the stall for the whole album. A glorious uplifting soul song that benefits from the thoughtful arrangement that allows for plenty of space within the record for the voice to shine through. ‘I’ve Got Something Good’ has a pounding four to the floor rhythm and a great horn arrangement as Sandy tells about her good thing. Especially notable on this track is the vocal backings that mimic and sing along with the rising synthesiser part. ‘The First Time’ takes the tempo way down and is a jazz based ballad reminiscent of Marlena Shaw’s ‘Go Away Little Boy’, with a fine string arrangement. The first side ends with the fantastic ‘Don’t You Worry Baby (The Best Is Yet To Come), seven minutes of carefully arranged ecstatic soul. The record builds from a elongated intro, through some banked backing vocals to the full on song, before dropping into an instrumental middle section of strings and saxophone, and an improvised out-section where Sandy’s voice comes right back in.

The album has become sought after in recent years for the cut that opens up side two ‘I Think I’ll Do Some Stepping (On My Own)’, once more the rhythm section and its arrangement proves to be the perfect foil for Sandy’s love-worn but defiant voice. This is followed by the discofied version of the theme to ‘Wonderwoman’ the late 70s TV staple starring Linda Carter. This contrasts with the vibrant, but extremely jazzy ‘Can’t You Just See Me’ which rolls along on an astounding piano part and some bluesy guitar. The original album ends with the emotional overload of the second ballad of the album ‘Stay Here With Me’, a fitting showcase for Sandy’s voice.

‘Wonder Woman’ was lifted as a single, possibly in the hope that it would get sales on the back of the success of the TV series, and it was backed by a non-album B-side, ‘Remember Me’ another cut that could have sat very well on the album. Access to the master tapes at Otis’ Argon productions has allowed us to unearth four previously unreleased tracks including the lovely ‘Let’s Get Back Together’, that appear to have been recorded later, possibly for a follow up album for ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’.

Sandy continued singing, joining the group Blue Moderne who released records on Roll and Atlantic, before appearing solo as Sandy B on Vinylmania, Nervous and King Street amongst others. She lives in New Jersey and continues to sing in and around New York.

Tracklist:
1) Look Out Sky
2) I've Got Something Good (Come And Get It)
3) The First Time
4) Don't You Worry Baby (The Best Is Yet To Come)
5) I Think I'll Do Some Stepping (On My Own)
6) Wonder Woman
7) Can't You Just See Me
8) Stay Here With Me
9) I'll Belong To You / Yea Baby
10) Can't Nobody Take Your Place
11) Remember Me
12) Woman Of The World
13) Let's Get Back Together
14) I Think I'll Do Some Stepping (On My Own) (John Morales Alternative Mix)
15) I Think I'll Do Some Stepping (On My Own) (Al Kent Disco Jam)
Sandy Barber - I Think I'll Do Some Steppin' On My Own

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

Clark Announces Details of New Album

Warp beatmaker Chris Clark has announced a new LP to follow his 2009 record Totems Flare. Iradelphic will be out on April 2 in the U.K. and April 3 in the U.S., and includes material taken from a "massive" recording session with Bibio. Listen to album cut "Com Touch", which can be downloaded free on Warp's site in exchange for an email address.

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

Denver indie-pop group Tennis have a new album out on Fat Possum on February 7th called Young & Old, which was recorded in Nashville alongside the Black Keys' Patrick Carney. Tracklist in full, below, and check out Tennis' tour dates:

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

Jana Hunter's band Lower Dens have announced a follow up to the excellent 2010 LP Twin-Hand Movement. The new album is called Nootropics, and it's out May 1 in North America and April 30 elsewhere through Ribbon Music.

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

Nina Kraviz is ready to release her debut album on Rekids.

Slated for release in February, the self-titled LP comes two years after Kraviz's first 12-inch on Jus-Ed's Uderground Quality imprint. The Russian DJ and producer (and one-time Breaking Through artist) has been highly in-demand ever since, with EPs on BPitch Control, Efdemin's Naïf imprint and finally Rekids, the label that's hosted her past few EPs and invited her to play at Panorama Bar in Berlin.

The upcoming album features all previously unreleased songs, except for "Ghetto Kraviz," the title track from her most recent EP. Keen-eared listeners might also recognize a few bits from her 2009 mix for Underground Quality's Club Tape Club Mix.

Chatting over Skype earlier this week, Kraviz gave us some personal insight on her debut LP:
When and where did you record the album?

I started to record my album around two years ago. It wasn't like with bands, when you have your contract and you are just in the studio and record every day—that was not the case with me. For me it was more like compiling my songs into an album, but at the same time when I had stronger songs I knew wanted them in the album, and I had some transition songs, you know? Some of the songs from the album were recorded just five months ago, but basically it was finished half a year ago.

Do you have a studio in your apartment?

Yes, I have my studio at my apartment in Moscow. I have a lot of synths, a Yamaha, Korg, a mini moog... my studio is really simple. Nothing super special, but all of the instruments I use are quite precious to me. I love being in my Moscow studio when I have a chance. Over the summer I was traveling four days a week and that was really tough. Sometimes I would record in hotels just to capture a moment, some texture or emotion.

What's it like being a house artist in Moscow?

Moscow is my city and of course I love it, but it can be difficult as an artist here. The scene is very competitive, people can be jealous. I was just fired from my night [at Propaganda]—they replaced me with someone else. So yes, sometimes I feel all my efforts here aren't appreciated.

Do you think you'll ever move?

Yes, I'm thinking about it. Maybe to Berlin, maybe Paris, or something very small, maybe Innsbruck in Austria because it is ten minutes from the mountains and close to the airport.

Some of the songs on your album seem inspired by relationships. Do experiences like that often influence your productions?

Yes, all of my productions are very intimate, very personal. The whole album is about me, my suffering, my life. It's always based on emotion and has something to do with real life. That is the most important thing.

Who is the Ben in "4 Ben"?

[laughs] I don't know if I should say. It is a very special Ben, that is for sure. A very special Ben.

What's next?

I want to set up my live act, and of course to continue DJing. I love DJing. I can't tell if I'm a DJ first and a producer second or vice versa, but in any case I have a lovely job, and I can't wait to continue.

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

On June 12th, Canadian indie rockers Metric will return with their fifth studio album Synthetica, which will be released through the band's new label Metric Music International as well as through Mom + Pop Records.

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

Long-running and widely adored dance-pop group Saint Etienne are releasing their eighth album, Words and Music by Saint Etienne, on May 21 through Universal.

This is their first album since 2005′s Tales From Turnpike House. Group member Bob Stanley described the album as being about “about how music affects your life… More than how it affects and reflects your life though, the album is about believing in music, living your life by its rules.” The tracklist is below:

Tracklist:

1. Over the Border
2. I’ve Got Your Music
3. Heading For the Fair
4. Last Days of Disco
5. Tonight
6. Answer Song
7. Record Doctor
8. Popular
9. 25 Years
10. DJ
11. When I Was Seventeen
12. I Threw it All Away
13. Haunted Jukebox

The first single, ‘Tonight,’ comes out March 5 and features remixes by Club Clique, the 2 Bears, and Richard X. Check out the video for ‘Tonight’ below, as well as Saint Etienne’s upcoming UK tour dates.

Re: 2012 Most Anticipated Music Releases

Brooklyn synth-rockers Bear In Heaven are getting all set to drop the follow-up to their great 2009 album Beast Rest Forth Mouth; new one I Love You, It’s Cool arrives in springtime. And below, check out the first taste of it: A floaty jam called “The Reflection Of You,” which would’ve fit in just fine on their last album.